Posted
by
Soulskillon Tuesday May 31, 2011 @11:31AM
from the one-device-to-rule-them-all dept.

siliconbits writes with this excerpt from ITProPortal:
"Just 24 hours after Asus unveiled its padfone, ECS is toying with an idea that resembles the Asus PadFone — in a nutshell, a tablet that becomes a docking station for your smartphone just by slotting it at the back. While the Padfone works only with Asus' own smartphone, the ECS model will be open to other models and the one we played with was physically compatible with the Apple iPhone 4. Wu reckons that the accessory will appeal to users because it doesn't require them to ditch their existing handsets and will be compatible with future models using what Wu described as 'simple upgrades.' The tablet will work across platforms; Windows Phone, Android & iOS which should include the iPhone 5."

You should go back in time to tell NASA not to call it a launch pad. And tell Sikorsky to be sure it doesn't get called a landing pad or helicopter pad. Might want to warn the cryptographers to call it something else than a one-time pad. Oh, don't forget Star Trek and their PADD.

You should go back in time to tell NASA not to call it a launch pad. And tell Sikorsky to be sure it doesn't get called a landing pad or helicopter pad. Might want to warn the cryptographers to call it something else than a one-time pad. Oh, don't forget Star Trek and their PADD.

I was right with you, then you kind of lost the whole argument there at the end.

It makes more sense from this angle where you can see the projection screen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqjoRMHyYQc [youtube.com]
I think it's more tongue-in-cheek style humor than what is apparent in the video you posted.

additionally, it will only run iphone apps, which look terrible on a larger screen. Apple is not going to bastardize their product line to accommodate running ipad apps on an iphone for this kind of application.

If the design doesn't expose both displays then it is dumb, because now you are carrying around a display that does nothing. I could see doing this up in a laptop form factor, then you could have the phone on the back of the display.

Now, if you could get a high speed short range wireless network between your phone and your tablet, and your phone's OS had network transparency in the GUI, and you could use the tablet as a display without docking your phone, there would be a point to that...

That would be pretty cool, to come home and drop my phone into a dock/cradle and then pick up my "laptop" or "pad" form factor thing and have it magically synced (and not just the email/calendar/photos that Android currently syncs via TEH CLOUD, but MP3s and MP4s and current level on Angry Birds too). While we're at it, I've always fancied getting myself a car-kit for my desk at home so I can use a traditional phone shaped handset while the actual phone is in the dock and also to boost my cell signal as my

... While we're at it, I've always fancied getting myself a car-kit for my desk at home so I can use a traditional phone shaped handset while the actual phone is in the dock and also to boost my cell signal as my house is surrounded by trees.

Been doing this for years. Started out with a CellSocket before Bluetooth then moved to the Dock-n-Talk (both available here) [coolproductz.com]. I'm using an XLink [myxlink.com] now with a duel line multi-handset cordless phone. My phone gets docked right inside the kitchen door when I walk in, and it stays there until I go somewhere. I'm considering getting rid of the land line all together. Seems the only calls I get on it now days are telemarketers anyway.

Now instead of carrying a tablet and a phone (which can be used separately), I'll be carrying a phone and a worth-fuckall-size-of-a-tablet-but-needs-a-phone "display" that can't be used separately! OMG! Where can I sign up to piss my money away?

You've heard of blue-tooth headsets, right? I'm sure the design team isn't stupid enough to leave the phone unusable while docked. Of course the cell provider will charge an extra $5 to $20 a month to be able to do that.

I see no problem with this if what you want is a 3/4/?? G enabled tablet. No need for two cell contracts, and the phone is still usable via a bluetooth earpiece and the tablet interface. You don't need the tablet for the phone to work, and you can still use the phone while using the tablet.

The only problem I really see with this is the limitation on the cell phone's processing power. Unless they speed it up with a secondary CPU/GPU and more memory in the tablet, I don't think it would be fast enough for

(From TFA) the one we played with was physically compatible with the Apple iPhone 4

So... the iPhone fitted in the hole. Can they actually make it talk to the iPhone (i.e. make it act as a touchpad and external display that can do more than show video from compatible apps) without Apple's blessing?

...and if the phone rings you're going to look even more stupid than Galaxy Tab owners holding that thing to your ear.

Now, If I were designing a phone/tablet combo I'd go for a tiny phone that was just a phone and camera (maybe enough display for looking up numbers and predictive texting), and

I'm oddly excited about the idea of docking my phone into a tablet and then docking that phone-tablet into a keyboard and then docking that phone-tablet-keyboard into a docking station for a desktop keyboard and monitor.

I'm oddly excited about the idea of docking my phone into a tablet and then docking that phone-tablet into a keyboard and then docking that phone-tablet-keyboard into a docking station for a desktop keyboard and monitor.

I've never liked smart phones, they're just an inconvenient form factor for me and because of the ten zillion things they doing/prepared to do their battery life stinks. I'm sometimes on my cell phone for six hours at a shot, and if the signal is at all weak my smart phone needs to be plugged in by the end of the first hour, while my old 'dumb' phone used to last almost all day.

I like the idea of being able to take my dumb phone, plug it into a nice, portable tablet to do the things that the smart phone

Communications and data consistency. My experience with tablets (admittedly limited) is that their communications suck, while trying to update a spreadsheet or connect to a remote server on a phone is a miserable experience. If the dumb phone can provide good communications and the tablet can give me a decent user experience doing my work I'd be a happy camper.

To be truthful, I'd probably never unplug the phone from the tablet if the interface between them were good enough. Since I'm never without my